The Medic's Touch
by Innocent Dumpling
Summary: Sasuke's search for atonement is starting to wear thin on both Sakura's patience and heart. Will her feelings ever truly reach him? Or is he too focused on redemption to consider any alternate path that might lay before him? [SasuSaku]


**THE MEDIC'S TOUCH**

 **CHAPTER ONE  
**

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A soft sigh escapes Sakura's lips as she shakes her head gently, it was becoming a routine now and she couldn't approve of it in the slightest. After weeks of absence here he was in her office once again having his injuries tended to, it was never the same type of injury, he was far too clever to make the same error twice however he failed to ever come back completely unscathed. Despite the fact that she was happy to see him return, his poor physical condition always put a dampener on the situation; to make matters worse the Uchiha generally said next to nothing as she tended to him, he just sat there quietly.

Her tongue traced across her glossy red lips and she thoughtfully tied the bandage she had been working on into a knot. "No heavy weapons in this hand for a fortnight at least," She murmurs as her right-hand brushes a few chunks of hair out of her eyes, her gaze meeting his as she sat upright and relaxed her shoulders. "I don't understand why your body is always littered with small injuries when you get back from your missions Sasuke. You were always so attentive," She notes, rising from her chair to returning the items she had used to their original positions.

"It's not important," came his simple response, his raven locks fluttering past his dual toned orbs as he shrugged his caramel poncho over his attire; "I'll heal, it doesn't matter."

Sakura froze in her spot, anger bubbling away inside her as she fought the urge to crush the glass jar she was holding; was he putting himself in harm's way on purpose as part of his atonement? "Don't say that," the medic whispers softly, her voice wavering as she turned to look over her shoulder at the handsome man standing in the middle of the room; "If you even think of allowing yourself to get hurt on purpose, I will refuse to let you leave this village alone." Throat tightening, the pinkette slammed the jar she was holding down on the counter with as little force as she could muster, her eyes trembling with fear as she instinctively strode up to the man she loved.

A smirk crept across Sasuke's lips as he silently took note of how passionately the woman before him was attempting to persuade him to take better care of himself, even to the extent of making threats. Such conversations were common place in the last twelve months, but despite the irritating nature of said conversations, the Uchiha couldn't find it in himself to be irritated, much to his own surprise. "I'll be staying a couple of days, after that I will resume my journey. Nothing will change that, not even your little threat Sakura," came his calm reply, a warmness tone present in somewhat open response.

Had she just made a fool of herself by overreacting? Embarrassment washed over Sakura in an instant as she crossed her arms under her bosom, her gaze drifting to the left side of the room as she attempted to calm her heart as it beat wildly in her chest. "I see," the medic mutters nonchalantly, her tone completely contradicting the internal struggle. "That's not a long time at all considering the fact that you arrived only two hours ago," she whispers, the initial excitement of his return, suddenly dulled by the news that he would be making his leave so soon.

In truth, Sakura couldn't exactly state that it was an unprecedented turn of events, if anything it was what she had come to expect from the lone shinobi; if only he had accepted her offer to assist him after the war, perhaps things would be different. Taking a deep breath the pinkette slipped her hands into the deep white pockets of her lab coat; "You know, it might do you some good to stay here a little longer Sasuke."

Silence befell the pair as the former missing-nin's oculars actively scanned her features, his mind abuzz with words unspoken. Perhaps he had spent too long away from his home, it wasn't a concept that had gone without thought, but given the gravity of his past actions could he afford such a luxury as to simply end his journey so abruptly? Would ending his search for atonement ultimately cause him more pain? These were questions that he still sought answers to.

Avoiding his gaze was proving to be quite a challenge, why was he listening so intently to her words? Perhaps he was concerned she would pry into matters he deemed sensitive in nature. Even after everything they had been through together it seemed as if there were some topics he was not quite prepared to touch, or perhaps it was paranoia on her side of things; who could tell? "I'm not a psychiatrist, I won't pretend that I have any qualification in that area of things, but I'm sure traveling on your own is taking a toll on your mental health..." Sakura notes under her breath, the kunoichi's dazzling gaze drifting down to the pristine hospital tiles beneath her feet as she made her suggestion; _Has this floor always been pale blue? Focus Sakura!_

"I have considered this, but in order to achieve my goal I must persevere," Sasuke notes, his gaze drifting down to the very tiles she seemed incredibly fascinated in. _Is she really that nervous right now? Hn._

Before he even opened his mouth to answer her, Sakura knew his answer would be exactly as he eloquently worded it; he needed more time. Although the medic completely understood where he came from, it was difficult to swallow the pain swelling inside of her.

"I know that you might not feel as if you have atoned for your actions, but in the eyes of a vast majority of the village you have done so numerous times over. You don't need to keep punishing yourself," Sakura whispers, her fragile voice shaking as her gaze drifted up, locking with his stoic visage. "I do understand your reasoning. I just feel that all I've done for half my life is worry about your wellbeing. Not that any of that is your fault, you didn't ask for that. But it makes me realize just how much time has elapsed…"

Perhaps it was foolish of her to believe that her words would sway the raven haired adonis, but she could only hope that one day he would come to understand that if he had changed as a person, the actions of his past self would be but a faint mark to those around him, as opposed to a stain as he perceived it to be.

Through long moments of silence, their gazes locked with each other, speaking a language that their tongues failed express. His intense look had a warm glow, and Sasuke could feel the resolution starting to waver, evident from how his eyes softened at her crestfallen expression. Ejecting a frustrated sigh, he reluctantly broke eye contact and turned to open the door; her last words echoing through his mind as he slipped away; a barely audible "Thank you," lingering in the air as the door closed behind him.

What had just happened? Was what she stated offensive, or did it simply strike a nerve? Regardless, it had resulted in a less than satisfactory response from the man in question. Sighing heavily, the medic sat down heavily in the nearest chair, instantly flicking her head backwards as she groaned inwardly; "I thought we were making progress! I need him to understand that his home is still his home. He can't go on like this forever. Either can I, it hurts not having him close..."

The Uchiha remained still, his back pressed up against the doorframe as he gazed down at his feet; silently listening to Sakura's remarks from the safety of the hallway. It wasn't surprising to hear how earnestly she was committed to convincing him to remain in the village, nor was the fact that his constant travels were painful for her in some way; but despite this, a strange warmth spread through his chest as her sincere words echoed through the adonis' mind.

The relationship between the two was complicated to say the least, that much he could admit, but knowing how he felt for her was another issue entirely. What they had now was somewhat comfortable for him after years of pain and suffering, he wasn't trapped in a situation that was demanding on his presence, nor was he having to directly deal with his trespasses against anyone in particular; something that would undoubtedly unleash a typhoon of negative emotions by the individuals concerned.

Initially, the rogue was wasn't sure a relationship with anyone after his past actions was something he would allow himself at any stage. But there was something about her that drew him to her, beyond the medical skills she possessed; his constant cover for returning to the village more frequently than he cared to admit. It was laughable that no one was yet to question his visits for the sole purpose of getting medical treatment, when there were ample medics across the great nations that would be able to provide assistance should he need it, and in a much more convenient fashion.

Slipping his hands under his poncho and into his trouser pockets, the raven haired man sighed and started to make his way down the hallway; his mind clearly clouded by the words of his former teammate. "You always know how to make this place all the more difficult to leave, Sakura. I'll think about it," Sasuke notes; a kind smile crossing his lips as he reached the staircase leading out of the facility, signature onyx and violet orbs flicking to gaze at her doorway one last time before he commenced his descent.

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 **AUTHOR:**

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, future chapters will be longer.

If you would like to read more please be sure to leave a review and also follow this story to ensure you get notified when I update.


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